LIFE

I always find that making a list of things I like and I'm privileged to have always makes me smile, lifts my spirit and makes me happy. So here goes - cause the rain outside and the pending chores are grating me the wrong way today....

• I love that it is school holidays and I get to sleep in when it is raining :) 
• Retail therapy is fun but not as fun as spending time with a friend and chatting the day away :) or being on the phone with one of them :)
• I was priviledged to be given the NEW Nomu hot chocolate by Paul Raphaeli himself to try out - Thanks Paul and Tracey
• I love that I was invited to Andiamo for breakfast last week (for FREE) to try out there new breakfast buffet and we were also treated to a goodie bag each - Thank you :)
• A beautiful drive with a great soundtrack is a must on a long weekend
• Beauty is all around us - we just tend to filter it away in our brains some days! Try take a FRESH look! Hello pretty mountains and fresh air.
• Live in the NOW- it is the only time we can take seriously :)
• Singing with abandon is GREAT for the soul ;)
• Drinking a good cup of coffee made to perfection is always nice

 So how have you been? Notice anything beautiful or do anything fun? DO TELL ME :)

HAPPY EASTER

May you have a blessed time with your family and friends :)
Hope you eat lots of chocolate and have a lovely rested time. Come back soon and tell me all about it -oKay :)
May we remember why we celebrate this holiday - not just for the chocolate but for so much more.

Hugs

CHOCOLATE BEETROOT CAKE

This cake was originally inspired by Ross Burden's Beetroot Choc Cake - having seen it on the internet I gave it a look through and then proceeded to do a re-hash (kind doing my own thing) - Gluten-Free of course 

INGREDIENTS (BROKEN UP INTO 4 PARTS)

STEP 1:

50g dark chocolate (I used 70% lindt)
a tiny pinch of salt
3 Tablespoons of cream

 combine the 3 ingredients and melt in a baine marie - stir until smooth and put to one side.

STEP 2:

1 generous cup /200g/250ml Brown Organic Sugar
3 Free range eggs
180/190ml Sunflower Oil

Beat/mix together with a hand mixer in a large bowl until thickened slightly and the mixture has lightened a little

STEP 3:

1 cup /250ml cooked and pureed beetroot (roughly 450g when raw and peeled)

add to the egg/sugar mixture above and mix in then add the chocolate cream and mix in until totally incorporated.

STEP 4:

3 heaped dessert spoons of cocoa
1 teaspoon bicarb
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 cups/ 500ml Gluten Free flour mix

Gradually add each ingredient above one by one beating after each addition to the mixture.
Place mixture into 1 buttered and floured  ?? cm cake tin and place in the oven at 155 degrees for roughly 48 minutes - until the cake springs back to the touch and the knife inserted into the middle of the cake come out clean.

 
Ice as desired - I used a chocolate ganache :)

FLOPPED ICE CREAM *GASP*

click on pic to go to ice cream recipe

I learnt a valuable lesson on Sunday when trying to make ice cream for my sister in laws birthday lunch - DON'T use xylitol in ice cream cause it won't set! My sister in-law was looking for a sugar free option and I was happy to oblige. I mean who doesn't want to eat home made ice cream? Also I usually stay clear of sugar induced shop bought variety anyway. (I use very little sugar in my own recipe) So I have my usual recipe  (which always works) and made it the way I usually do (except the sugar was replaced with xylitol). Well well well.... ten million hours later and the ice cream machine was still churning but the mixture had not frozen! not even a little!! It had got VERY cold and a little thicker - like pouring cream/runny milkshake but definitely NOT ice cream :( Sorry sister in-law, I couldn't grant you your birthday lunch wish of ice cream... Now I know for next time...

MY BUCKET LIST

 

Today "My Bucket List"was posted on Being Brazen :) 

 If you would like to have a look at it you can go here.

FOLLOW YOUR HEART PICTURE

Look what I made :) yes the picture you are seeing above this writing - I had fun in photoshop elements and I think it came out ok.
This is a photo I took of a road near my house and I manipulated the yield painted road marking into a make-shift heart.
I have been enjoying messing about in photoshop elements lately and get absorbed for way too long.... so much so I get way to little other things done. - yeah like dishes, cooking, folding laundry, shopping for food.. ok I don't forget to shop for food but I do dash out the door at the very last minute.

If you would like to use this picture on your blog - please leave a comment in the comment section below with a link to your blog post that it is in and of course please link to me from the post that the pic is in and credit me for my work :) THANK YOU SWEETIE :)

 

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 THAT IS ALL!

Relax - Life Down the Rabbit Hole

Hello

Sorry for my absence. I have been doing too many things at once - and getting soooo distracted by the internet world. It's like the rabbit hole in Alice in wonderland - ooo that looks pretty and before you know it you've been to 300 websites, 10 flicker accounts, 15 facebook pages and a whole bunch of twitter followers and you've tweeted 20 things and it leads to another 300 websites!
Let's just say I'm trying to be a bit more disciplined online right now. Let's see how long it lasts.

So that is why I haven't posted. I always check my comments and check on this blog everyday but posting takes time and I've been so easily distracted lately - sorry. *sheepish grin*

So how is life with you? I had a lovely night away at Welgelegen Guest House in Cape Town on the weekend compliments of them - So very kind!!! And what a lovely place. Comfy bed, lovely decor and delicious breakfast and very thoughtful staff :) what more could you ask for? It was oh so delightful :)
To check out the place go here

Hope you are well.
My cat is attacking my leg. Must go... oh but what is this pretty link... click click